Royals June 26th Minors Recap

Omaha beat OKC, 7-2.

Paulo Orlando getting ready to run during spring training (Jen Nevius)

Paulo Orlando led off the 2nd inning with an inside-the-park home run. With the bases loaded, Whit Merrifield drove in the inning’s second run with a sac fly.

That made a winner of Clayton Mortensen, who improved to 3-0 on the season (with a 0.99 ERA). He allowed two runs on five hits and two walks over 5.1 innings. Lefty Tim Collins made his first appearance with the Storm Chasers and threw 1.2 scoreless innings. Fellow lefty Chris Dwyer then struck out four over the game’s final two innings (just one hit allowed).

The Storm Chasers collected 13 hits. Francisco Pena went 4-for-5 with a two-run homer and three RBIs. He now has a career-high 12 homers on the season. Christian Colon, Jimmy Paredes, and Brian Bocock each had two hits in the win.

Logan Davis played his first game with Omaha and went 1-for-2 with a walk and was hit by a pitch.

NW Arkansas held on for the 6-4 victory over Midland.

Lane Adams during his time with Wilmington (Jen Nevius).

It was another solid start by Andy Ferguson, who allowed three hits and two walks over six scoreless innings. He struck out four. After Scott Alexander threw a scoreless seventh, Angel Baez allowed three runs in the 8th inning, but only recorded two outs. Andrew Triggs entered with two on and got out of it. Triggs then allowed a run in the ninth, but induced a game ending double play to pick up his tenth save of the season.

Lane Adams put the Naturals on the board in the third with a two-run home run, his seventh of the season. The Naturals collected 15 hits, with five players having multi-hit games. Adams, Cheslor Cuthbert, and Angel Franco had two hits. Justin Trapp went 3-for-3 with two runs scored, an RBI, and a stolen base.

Wilmington was no-hit by visiting Lynchburg. They lost 5-1.

Atlanta Braves top prospect Lucas Sims threw his first ever no-hitter (not even a Little League one). Because he walked four (and hit a batter on a 3-2 pitch), he was pulled after seven innings. He allowed an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth that tied the game at 1-1 (Terrance Gore beat out a double play ball that would have ended the inning).

Reliever Alex Wilson entered in the 8th inning and walked the first batter he faced. That was Gore and he stole second base. A two out walk put the Blue Rocks in business, but Michael Antonio struck out to end the inning. Wilson then retired the Blue Rocks in order (and quickly) in the ninth, getting a strikeout of Jack Lopez to end it.

Did Sims do anything special during the day? “No. My throat hurt a little…I blasted the AC.” He mainly worked off his fastball, but his curveball came into play over his final innings.

Wilson said he really didn’t feel the pressure until the last pitch to Lopez, when he “got a little antsy.”

Blue Rocks starter Sean Manaea in their home opener on April 8, 2014 (Jen Nevius).

Lost in the no-hitter was the starting performance by Sean Manaea. It was the best I have seen him all season. He went a career-high 6.1 innings and was economical with his pitches (just 80). He allowed a run in the fifth and left the game in the seventh after two hard hit singles with one out.

However, reliever Zeb Sneed struggled with his command and walked in the go ahead run. A sac fly and two RBI singles gave the Hillcats the 5-1 lead.

Lexington lost both games of their doubleheader in Hagerstown. Despite two home runs, the Legends lost the first game by a 3-2 score. All the runs were scored in the fifth and sixth innings.

Cody Reed allowed a two-run homer in the 5th inning, but the Legends came back to tie the game in the top half of the sixth on Mauricio Ramos‘ homer. Reed allowed five hits over five innings. Jose Miguel Rodriguez took the loss, as he allowed a triple with one out and an RBI double with two outs to give the Suns the lead.

In the loss, Ramos collected three of the Legends eight hits.

The Legends lost the second game by a 1-0 score. The Suns scored their lone run on a solo home run with two outs in the second.

Crawford Simmons was the hard luck loser, as he allowed three hits over five innings. He struck out five.

Both teams collected four hits by eight different players. Elier Hernandez had the lone extra base hit for the Legends, a double to lead off the seventh. He was on third base with one out and was left stranded.